Since Donald Trump reassumed the presidency of the United States, his administration has adopted increasingly severe measures regarding immigration policy, especially targeting immigrants who had obtained temporary legal status under the administration of Joe Biden. One of the most controversial strategies recently revealed involves using the Social Security Administration's "master death file" to include the names of living people as if they were dead, thus blocking their Social Security numbers. This maneuver deeply affects the financial lives of immigrants, who are prevented from accessing bank accounts, credit cards and government benefits.

Documents reviewed by The New York Times and interviews with people connected to the process reveal that more than 6,300 migrants have already had their names entered into this file. Initially, the targets were individuals considered criminals or suspected terrorists, but officials indicate that the scope of the measure could be expanded to include other undocumented immigrants. Domestically, senior Social Security officials have expressed concerns about the possibility of errors, which could affect even U.S. citizens, compromising their finances by mistake.

The initiative is part of a broader crackdown coordinated by Trump, with support from Elon Musk and the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. Musk, a close adviser to the president, has propagated unproven theories about fraud involving immigrants and Social Security benefits, and influenced changes within the agency, which has traditionally not been involved with immigration enforcement, according to The New York Times report. In this context, several senior officials of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) resigned after the tax agency announced that it would help locate undocumented immigrants. At the same time, cuts in the budget and in the Social Security team have made it difficult to serve traditional beneficiaries, such as retirees and people with disabilities.

Another relevant aspect of this new policy is the unprecedented collaboration between Social Security and the Department of Homeland Security, allowing the sharing of sensitive data, such as addresses and personal information of about 98,000 individuals. This opening of data represents a break with previous practices, in which there was a clear separation between social services and immigration enforcement.

The Trump administration is also directly attacking programs implemented by Biden that have allowed the legal and temporary entry of more than 1.4 million migrants by air or through the CBP One app. These programs, which sought to organize and humanize the migratory process, are being dismantled. Many of those who entered with temporary legal status are now at risk of deportation or having their permits revoked.

Finally, the implementation of this new policy includes controversial cases, such as that of minors placed on the watch list, including a teenager as young as 13 years old. This scope has generated fear within the agencies involved. The administration, for its part, justifies the measures with the argument that it is eliminating incentives for illegal immigration and fulfilling Trump's election promises about mass deportations.